Supporting frame for bar bells and hand operated exercising devices



Aug. 23, 1966 s w, FRESHOUR 3,268,224

SUPPORTING FRAME FOR BAR BELLS AND HAND OPERATED EXERCISING DEVICES Filed Oct. 16, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- 'taea: M Hess/1W2 M ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 23, 1966 G. w. ESHOUR 3,268,224

SUPPORTING FRAME R BAR BELLS AND HAND OPERATED EXERCISING DEVICES Filed Oct. 16. 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l NVE N TOR 6.60265 M fl as/mm ATTORNEY-'5.

1966 G. w. FRESHOUR 3,268,224

SUPPORTING FRAME FOR BAR BELLS AND HAND OPERATED EXERCISING DEVICES Filed Oct. 16, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I NVE NTOR fizaza: h fZEJY/OJZ BY M W ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent M 3,268,224 SUPPORTING FRAME FOR BAR BELLS AND HAND OPERATED EXERCISING DEVICES George W. Freshour, Carmichael, Calif. (5543 San Juan Ave, Citrus Heights, Calif. 95610) Filed Oct. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 316,578 9 Claims. (Cl. 27281) This invention relates to a body exercise machine for conditioning body muscles, and more particularly to an exercise machine which enables one to concentrate on any specific area of the body, such as building up the chest, arms, shoulder or legs while reducing the waistline, the machine being adaptable for use by growing children or sedentary adulthood.

Many youngsters cannot alford the luxury of a playground and many sedentary business people are so preocuppied due to the pressure of business that their time for exercise is very limited.

The influence of properly directed body exercise to build strong and healthy muscles and in removing excess fat is well known to all coaches, instructors and physical education teachers.

This new machine solves the above problems of allowing one to place the machine in a small room, and properly exercise and condition all muscles or concentrate on specific areas of the body to insure a healthful and properly conditioned body physique.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an exercise machine which may be used in any desired manner at various angular positions and at various heights to condition the various muscles of the body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a universal exercise machine which may be readily and quickly adjusted and used by various persons of difi'erent ages and sizes.

A further object of the invention to provide an exercise machine which is adapted for use by different persons with maximum comfort, as well as application to different body positions requiring different degrees of exercise.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a body exercise machine which is efiicient for all purposes, easy and economical to manufacture, portable, and simple to use and service.

With these and other objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational vie-w of the new exercise machine showing the basic framework, bearing and shaft means and upper padded portion of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational View of the invention showing the structure and rotating shaft members with accompanying bearing means;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the invention showing the various components of the new machine;

FIGURE 4 is a partial view of the shaft and pulley means with hearing means attached by bolt means to a sectional portion of the supporting frame means of FIG- URE 3 taken on lines 44 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 shows a side elevation of the new machine in which the operator is in a kneeling position for one application of the invention;

FIGURE 6 illustrates a side elevation view of the invention in which the operator is in a standing position with elbows resting on the padding of the machine with another type of exercise by application of the weight means and cord means used by the operator for concentrating on and conditioning certain muscles of the body;

3,268,224 Patented August 23, 1966 FIGURE 7 is another side view and application of the invention in which the operator his his elbows fulcrumed on the padding of the machine during the lifting of a bar bell accessory of the machine to concentrate a desired flexing and yieldably restraining conditioning on Ehe arm, shoulder and back muscles of the operators ody;

FIGURE 8 illustrates a still further side view and application of the invention in which the operator is standing with his back to the machine and using the weight and cord means as shown over the pulley means and shaft of the disc means to strengthen certain muscles of the arms, shoulder and back portion of the operators body;

FIGURE 9 shows another side view and application of the invention in which the operator is standing in front of the machine and pulling upward on the cord pulled over and under pulley means, the end of which is attached to a weigh-t means to concentrate the exercise and conditioning on a d-iiferent combination of muscles of the operators body;

FIGURE 10 is a further side view and application of the invention in which the operator is sitting on a bench in front of the machine and pulling on the cord passed over two pulleys and attached to a weight means for concentration of exercise on a diiferent combination of muscles of the operators body as shown; and

FIGURE 11 is a still further side view and application of the invention in which the operator is kneeling with his back toward the machine and applying an overhead pull on the cord and weight means for concentrating certain conditioning .to the trapezius muscles of the shoulders of the operators body.

Referring to the drawings, similar reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the figures of the drawmgs.

The new exercise machine comprises, in general, a basic supporting framework, bearing, shaft and pulley means, certain support brackets for selective use of a plurality of bar bell of disc weight means mounted on shaft means, an upper armrest, padding means, and various weights secured to a cord or rope means connected to a hand pull means for various pulling and weight lifting exercises by various passages of the cord means over the pulley and shaft means of the machine, as shown in the drawings.

The framework of the machine consists of a base means 15 fabricated of tubular or bar members 16 connected together by coupling means 17 and 18, to which are secured vertical side support members 19 and 20 of dilferent lengths. The upper end of vertical support members 19 and 20 are rigidly interconnected together by readily detachable or fixedly secured coupling means 21, 22, and 23 and tubular or bar members 24 and 25. The side coupling means 21 are secured together by an inverted U-shaped structural member 26, as shown. The structural member 26 supports in a suitable manner a padded armrest structural means 27. Bar members 25 carry shaft bearing means 28 and 29 secured thereto by bolt means 30. Members 25 carry at their intermediate portions a bracket means 31, each bracket 31 having a recess 32 therein, to support and rotatably receive a shaft means 33 on which is mounted a bar bell or disc weight means 34. Bearing means 28 supports a shaft means 35 therein, on which is mounted a pulley means 36 over which cord means 37 is passed and connected to a suitable weight means and hand pull means 37a. Bearing means 29 supports a shaft means 39 therein, on which is mounted a pulley means 40. Bracket means 31 are secured to structural members 25 by any suitable means, such as clamping, screw bolts or welding means, as desired. The hand pull means 37a may be of a desired length which will aflord the greatest latitude of exercise to the arm muscles of both arms for the various types of exercises pro- 3 grammed for use of the new machine. If desired, pulley means 36 and 40 may be duplicated on shaft means 35 and 39, so as to provide each hand of the operator with a hand pull means 37a, cord means 37, and desired weightmeans 38 for individual exercise of each arm if there are abnormalities in the limbs of the operator.

Duplicate bar bell means 34 and shaft means 33 may be used in suitable hearings on the machine as shown in FIGURE 5 or in any other manner as desired.

The machine of the instant invention may be made of various sizes and of various suitable materials, such as, steel, aluminum or plastic, fabricated by horizontal, vertical and angular members or unitary bottom, side, and top means as desired, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In use, the operator may either stand, kneel or sit as shown in FIGURES 5 through 11, depending on the type of exercise desired for concentration on a particular part of the body muscles of the operator, when the exercises are particularly programmed as a course of selected exercises to condition and produce a healthy physique. Due to the nature and use of the muscles of the body, the exercises are of any desired type, for example, pulling or lifting and the like, as shown. The operator may pass the cord attached to a desired weight means, over a pulley means, wrap the cord around a shaft carrying a heavy disc and further pass the cord attached to a hand pull 37a under a pulley means, or apply the cord and weight means in any other manner as desired.

The instant new exercise machine is so constructed that it may be quickly assembled or disassembled for use or convenience in transit as desired.

The pulley and shaft means of the instant invention may be duplicated or varied in any manner to suit the exercise of the operator of the machine.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided a novel and new universal exercise machine which accomplishes all the objects of this invention during use and transit, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made of the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense, except as set forth in the following appended claims.

I claim:

1. A universal exercising machine comprising a self supporting frame means including a horizontal base means, a plurality of upright standard means fixedly secured to said base means, at least two of said standard means being secured together at their top portions by a substantially horizontal bar means, two of said standard means connected to each side of said base means being fixedly secured together at their top portions by an angularly disposed bar means, said angular bar means being interconnected by a plurality of shaft means carried by suitable bearing means supported by said angular bar means, pulley means mounted on the intermediate portion of each of said shaft means, and padding means secured to and supported by said horizontal bar means.

2. A universal exercising machine as in claim 1 including bracket means having notch means therein, said bracket means being fixedly mounted on each of said angular side bar means and adapted to receive a shaft having thereon a fixed bar bell means.

3. A universal exercising machine as in claim 2 including end portions extending from the horizontal bar means forming a U-shaped structural member, and means for interconnecting the upper ends of said angularly disposed bar means.

4. A universal exercising machine as in claim 3 including a cord means having attached thereto a desired weight means and hand pull means, said cord means being adapted to cooperate with the grooves in said pulley means on said shaft means at various tangential inclinations as desired during various postures of an operator.

5. A universal exercising machine for conditioning the various muscles of the body comprising a base means, upstanding side means secured to each of two opposite sides of said base means, each of said side means terminating in a sloping upper front means, a plurality of shaft means and pulley means, bearing means secured to said front means rotatably supporting said shaft and pulley means therein in a spaced relationship, a shaft means having mounted thereon a disc weight means, a plurality of bracket means secured to said front means and having open bearing recess means therein to selectively receive and rotatably support said shaft and disc weight means therein, and a cord means attached at one end of a weight means and at the other end to a handpull means adapted to cooperate with said pulley means to exercise and con dition the various muscles of an operators body.

6. A universal exercising machine for conditioning the various muscles of the body as in claim 5 including horizontal structural means cooperatively connecting the upper portions of said sloping front means.

7. A universal exercising machine for conditioning the various muscles of the body as in claim 6 including padding means secured to and supported by said horizontal structural means.

8. A universal exercising machine for conditioning the various muscles of the body as in claim 7 including duplicate pulley means on said shaft means and duplicate cord and weight means for selectively exercising said arms of an operator of the machine.

9. A universal exercising machine for conditioning the various muscles of the body as in claim 8 including connecting means and detachment means for quick assembly and disassembly of the machine during use and for convenience of portability of the machine during transit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,468,542 4/1949 Caldwell 214-103 3,118,668 1/1964 Callahan 27284 3,189,347 6/1965 Dodge 272-81 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

W. R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A UNIVERSAL EXERCISING MACHINE COMPRISING A SELF SUPPORTING FRAME MEANS INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL BASE MEANS, A PLURALITY OF UPRIGHT STANDARD MEANS FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID BASE MEANS, AT LEAST TWO OF SAID STANDARD MEANS BEING SECURED TOGETHER AT THEIR TOP PORTIONS BY A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL BAR MEANS, TWO OF SAID STANDARD MEANS CONNECTED TO EACH SIDE OF SAID BASE MEANS BEING FIXEDLY SECURED TOGETHER AT THEIR TOP PORTIONS BY AN ANGULARLY DISPOSED BAR MEANS, SAID ANGULAR BAR MEANS BEING INTERCONNECTED BY A PLURALITY OF SHAFT MEANS CARRIED BY SUITABLE BEARING MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID ANGULAR BAR MEANS, PULLEY MEANS MOUNTED ON THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF EACH OF SAID SHAFT MEANS, AND PADDING MEANS SECURED TO AND SUPPORTED BY SAID HORIZONTAL BAR MEANS. 